This invention relates to an improvement to a chalk line reel of the type having a housing, a spool rotatably mounted in housing, a chalk line wound on the spool, and a clip secured to a free end of the chalk line.
Chalk line reels of this general type are well-known to the art, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,888,010 and 3,438,595. Such chalk line reels typically use a finely powdered chalk which is applied to the chalk line as it is drawn from the housing. Typically, powdered chalk can be introduced into the housing via an opening in the housing, and a moveable door is mounted on the housing to close the opening.
Powdered chalk is designed to be highly visible, and is therefore often colored brightly. If the door in the housing were to be moved inadvertently so as to open the opening, powdered chalk could be spilled over the adjacent area. Such spilling of powdered chalk can represent a substantial problem, and the present invention is directed to a solution to that problem. Also, the chalk line typically terminates in a clip, and the line or clip that may get tangled or caught when the chalk line reel is stored with other tools.